A TRIBUTE TO INZY

This may be a little late,considering the fact that there are already millions of posts doing the rounds about Inzamam-ul-Haq's retirement,nonetheless here are a few incidents i remember from his career,some good some bad.
October 2007 and March 1992 saw two defining moments in the in the life of one of the sons of Multan. The former saw him being given a hero's sendoff from his mates and the latter is what made the cricketing world stand up and take notice of him. The former took place thousands of miles away from the latter. Although the person involved in both the scenes was the same, the toll 17 years of cricket had taken on him was quite evident and he seemed to be a changed man.The Inzy who was having the New Zealand attack for breakfast,lunch and dinner and the Inzy who was stumped trying to smash his way into the record books in his final test innings were two totally different people.
In the 1992 world cup Inzy's timing was perfect(technically and literally),what better stage than a world cup semi final where you come into bat with the asking rate seemingly impossible to achieve and give a practical session of the Scorpions song-"here i am....rock you like a hurricane". The images are still fresh in my mind-the florescent green Pakistan jersey,Inzy coming to bat without a helmet and finally Javed Miandad with the white helmet standing out against his jersey, running of the field with the black caps stunned into silence.
Post 1992 world cup he became the mainstay of the Pakistan batting line up. Whenever he scored runs,Pakistan won. Credit for that also should go to his team mates- remember the test match against Bangladesh where was batting with the number 9 and 10 batsmen and won it from there?? You could credit him for being a good finisher- a tag which many of his contemporariesfailed to achieve.
There was also a comical side to him- whether it was intentional or unintentional only Inzy can say. I can never forget him bowling his left arm 'dibbly-dobblies' to Sachin at Singapore,it looked like he was asked to bowl to add some entertainment value to the match!! Then there was his standard speech as captain at the presentation ceremony-which led to the very famous joke about his wife expecting a baby.
The dark side of Inzy came out in the Sahara Cup and one Mr.Thind would vouch for that.Losing his cool after constantly being chided, Inzy picked up one of Sourav's bats and charged into the stands. It wasn't a very pretty sight and thanks to that he now has a criminal record in Canada.
One aspect of his career that Inzy would be proud of is the wins against India in India. I think he would be one of the most loved Pakistani cricketers on this side of the Wagah border. When in the 'zone' his massacres on the Indian attack caused heartbreak for a lot of Indian supporters but would have been a treat to watch for a neutral.
His last year as captain wasn't the greatest-the 2007 world cup being the lowest point . 17 years of non stop cricket culminating in a loss to Ireland and being knocked out of the world cup in the first round and the death of the Coach.Inzy's final test innings was a bit of an anticlimax. One big one away from being the highest run scorer for your country. Going for that big one against a newbee called Paul Harris and missing it completely. Not the kind of ending you would like to associate with Inzy, but i am sure he would be remembered more for the way he arrived than the way he departed.
The reception he got on the field from the South Africans and from his team mates is testimony to his greatness and his impact on the game.Unlike a lot of other Pakistani greats,he got a fitting farewell from his team and the PCB.
Here's to Inzy!!